Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse stars in 'Planet Green' at Fort Lee

Tuesday

Chef Emeril Lagasse uses Army rations to 'kick it up a notch' while cooking in the field with soldiers

FORT LEE — Chef Emeril Lagasse went Army green over the weekend as the “Planet Green” show starring the celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse taped two episodes at Fort Lee.

In the first episode, “Operation Emeril,” Lagasse joins Army Center of Excellence, Subsistence (ACES) Field Operations Training Instructor Sgt. Sean Macey, and his students Pfc. Clinton Morgan, Pvt. Umar Magee and Pfc. Heather Wommack cooking in the field.

Utilizing troop rations, Lagasse showed the team how to “kick it up a notch” by pulling routine items from the ration packs and combining them into more flavorful meals. BAM!

“It's not that hard to change it up. The way he's making it makes it easy,” said Morgan of Lagasse's techniques.

“Food is definitely a morale booster,” said Lagasse.

Lt. Col. Rob Barnes couldn't agree more. When the troops are out on convoys, dealing with Improved Explosive Devices and other challenges, food can be comforting. “At the end of the day, the cooks can create some sense of home,” he said.

ACES at Fort Lee provides all culinary training for the Army and Marines. Once BRAC is completed, they will also train the Air Force and Navy.

“You're at the Mecca of food service,” said Barnes.

According to Barnes, the students, who will graduate in May, were selected to appear on the show not only based on merit, but also to reflect some of the diversity of the Army. “The Army is truly a melting pot,” said Barnes.

Karen Katz, executive director for Emeril Green, said that they wanted to do something special for Memorial Day. “Emeril is a big supporter of the military and the troops and anything we can do to give back (we do),” said Katz.

Lagasse expressed a sincere appreciation for the troops and what these men and women

do to protect us and our families. He went on to say that food service is an aspect of the military that people don't think about, but it is essential.

“(I want to) bring awareness to the healthy meals the military is preparing,” he said. “I'm impressed to see the amount and quality of ingredients in use now. They were in a rut for so long, it got boring.”

He applauds the Army for the tremendous advances in their food program, including healthier meals, lower sodium content, and “trying to bring more flavor to make the food a craft, as it is.”

“Look around, and you won't find anyone under nourished,” said Lagasse, motioning towards the troops that were gathered.

Lagasse also appreciates the military's movement to go green, with improved equipment, recycling programs like those at Fort Lee, and composting projects at other military installations.

He enthused over the changes made in the kitchen equipment since he was last on a military base a few years ago.

“It's pretty impressive!” he said.

He described the machine that separates the oil from the food particles and raved over the Containerized Kitchens (KT) which serve 800 troops compared to the Mobile Kitchens (MKT) which only serve 300.

Logistically, the KT's are easier to transport, set up faster, and replace 2 MKT's, thereby reducing the need for one cook, one vehicle, and one FSC.

“They are more efficient. The equipment is state of the art,” he added.

Lagasse said he is trying to teach the cooks to be creative if they have the time. “If you're on the run, it's another story,” he said, well aware of the varying circumstances under which they must cook.

The second episode, “Army Greens,” was filmed inside the Advanced Culinary Skills Training Institute and featured the following Staff Sergeants: David Baisden, Luisa Alves, and Michelle Hall.

Viewers will not only become more aware of cooking in the Army, but will also have a take-away for dealing with their own culinary ruts.

“These are challenging ingredients, but Emeril has come up with a plan to use what they have and not to be wasteful. We may all have things in our kitchen that get boring. We can learn alternate ways to put them together and to reduce waste,” she said.

The two episodes are scheduled to air as a one-hour special on Memorial Day weekend.

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